Folding table leg



Sept. 10, 1940. A. o. HENDRICKS 2,214,301 I FOLDING TABLE LEG Filed June21, 19:58

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J7 Ag imafigwmza ATTORN EYS Patented Sept. 10, 1940 I UNITED STATESPATET OFFICE FOLDING TABLE LEG Alpha 0. Hendricks, Mason County, Mich.

Application June 21, 1938, Serial No. 214,984

3 Claims.

This invention relates to folding'table legs.

One object of the invention is to improve generally upon folding tablestructures whereby to secure compactness and minimize weight withoutdetracting from the requisite rigidity and durability thereof.

Another object is to provide a practical sheet metal leg structure andlocking element.

- With the foregoing and other objects and advantages to be attained, aswill hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists in the novelgeneral structure and parts and combinations and arrangements of partsthereof as herein-- after described and set forth in the appendedclaims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a partof this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary section ofthe top portion of a table equipped with a folding leg structure inaccordance with a practical embodiment of the present invention, the legbeing shown in locked open position;

Figure 2 is a similar view, with the leg folded into closed position;

Figure 3 is a sectional View, on an enlarged scale, at right angles tothat shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a detail view of the locking element for the table leg;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on or about the line 55 of Figure3; and

Figure 6 ma detail view of the escutcheon plate detached.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral l0 designates a table topwhich is mounted on vertical apron members II at the opposite sides andends of the table constituting a rectangular frame, to which members thetable top is secured by angle brackets 12.

The table leg as shown in the drawing and designated generally by thenumeral I! is preferably constructed of sheet metal. The leg is providedat its upper end portion l8 and on one side thereof with a hinge l9which is attached by screws 20 to a cleat 2| extending crosswise on theunder side of the table top 10 adjacent to a side frame member II. Inthe vertical opened position of the leg its square end portion 22 abutsthe under side of the cleat 2| so as to limit the outward swing of theleg and afford a steadying support for the table.

Associated with the table leg' I! is a locking member 23 which is hingedto the under side of the table top 10, as at 24, to swing in a directiontransversely of that in which the leg swings on its hinge l9. Thislocking member preferably comprises a flat metal plate rolled at oneend, as at 25, to provide its hinge attaching portion, said plate beingreduced in width towards its opposite end portion with one straight side26 and an inclined opposite side 21, and both sides being flanged as at26, 21', respectively, to stiffen the structure (see Figure 4). Adjacentthe narrow end of the plate 23 the flanged portions 26' and 21' are ofincreased height dimensions and they are rebent, as at 28 and 29, andprovided with transverse aligned apertures in which a latchingelement 30is pivotally mounted. Preferably, the latch element 30 comprises asingle piece of wire looped at its middle portion, asat 3!, to produce aretaining head, the two adjacent armsof the wire being extended in closeparallel relation to each other, as at 32, to provide the shank portionof the element, and the extreme" end portions being turned outwardly inopposite directions to each other and at right angles to the shankportion 32, as at 33, and inserted pivotally in the apertures providedtherefor in said rebent flanged portions 28' and 29 of the locking plate23.

In the folded or closed position of the leg ll, said locking plate 23 isfolded up close to the under side of the table top" ill between'thetable top and the folded leg as shown in'Figure 2, but in the verticalopened position of the leg ll, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, said lockingplate 23 is swung downwardly against the inner sideof the adjacent sideframe member 11, in which position of the plate the lower ends of therebent' flanged portions 28 and 29 are disposed across a horizontalshoulder portion Sligprovided on the. adjacent portion of the leg H, andoff-set from its axis.

When the plate 23 is in its locking relation to the table leg thelatching element 3!! is projected through an opening 35 in the adjacentside frame member H of sufficient size for the ready passage of theretaining head 3! of the latching member therethrough, and an escutcheonplate 36 is provided on the adjacent outer side portion of said framemember H to cover said opening 35. For the releasable interlockingengagement of the latch element 3!! with said escutcheon plate, thelatter is provided with a T-shaped opening 31 through the cross portionof which the retaining head 3! of said latch element 3!] is passed andthe shank portion 32 of said element then dropped into the stem portionof the slot so that the retaining head of the element 3! is locked tionas defined by the appended claims.

While the locking plate 23 may rest against the adjacent side framemember I l in its lowered position it is preferable to provide the platewith a lip 38 to engage behind the ledge or shouldered portion 34 of thetable leg, by which provision there is a tight tying effect between saidlip 33 so engaged with the leg ll and the retaining head 3! of the latchelement in its interlocked engagement with said escutcheon plate 35. Itis also,here noted that the locking plate 23 may be formed in anydesirable manner from sheet metal. 7

By the foregoing it is seen that a practical light weight sheet metaltable leg of a foldable character is produced with a simple andeffective locking element also of sheet metal, and affording amplestability for the table when set up for use, as well as facilitating thefolding of the legs into close compass under the table top when not inuse.

Obviously, the structure admits of considerable modification within thespirit of the inven- The invention, therefore, is not limited to thespecific construction and arrangements shown in the accompanyingdrawing.

What is claimed is:

1. In a table including a top and a rectangular frame having its sidemembers supportingly depending marginally from the top, one of said.

frame members having an opening therein and an escutcheon plate mountedthereon and covering the opening, said plate having a T-shape slotcoincident with said opening, a leg member hingedly mounted transverselynear its upper end to the underside of the top adjacent and swingable inparallel relation to said frame member having the opening, said legmember being-also located adjacent a right-angular side member of theframe so as to swing to opened position in abutting relation to saidlast named frame member and with its upper end abutting a stop portionon the underside of the table top, a locking member hingedly mountedbeneath the table top and contiguous to the frame side member having theescutcheoned opening, the axis of its hinge being at a right angle tothe axis of the leg hinge, said locking member in its opened positionabutting its contiguous frame side member and lockingly overlapping theadjacent side portion of the opened leg member away from the frame sidemember which the leg member abuts, and a latch element hingedly attachedat one end to said locking member and having a shank portion with atransverse en-' largement to enter through the opening of the contiguousframe side member and into releasable interlocking engagement in theslot of the escutcheon plate covering said opening.

2. A table including a top, a folding leg hingedly mounted beneath thetop and opening to a vertical supporting position in abutting relationto stops at the end thereof and at one side parallel to the axis of itshinge, a locking member hingedly mounted beneath thetop to swing from anaxis at a right angle to that of the leg hinge, said locking memberbeing swingable across the opened leg to an opened position in abuttingrelation to a stop parallel with the axis .of the locking member hingeand lockingly overlapping the opened leg, the stop for said lockingmember having an opening therein, an escutcheon plate located on theoutside of the said last named stop and covering the opening of thestop, said escutcheon plate having a latching slot coincident with theopening of the stop, said slot having a latch-holding portion and acommunicating latch-entering enlargement, and a latch element comprisinga shank hingedly attached to said locking member and having anenlargement to enter the enlargement of of the escutcheon plate slot andmovable into holding engagement with said escutcheon plate in the regionof the latch-holding portion of the latching slot.

3. A table including a top and a pair of depending correlated stopmembers disposed at right angles to each other, one of said membershaving a T-slotted latch receiving and holding portion, a leg memberhingedly mounted beneath the table top to swing across said slotted stopmember to an opened vertical supporting position in abutting relation tothe correlated other stop member, said leg member having a-projectedshoulder portion at its side remote from that abutting its correlatedstop member and adjacent the slotted stop member, a locking memberhingedly mounted beneath the table top to swing about an axis parallelto the slotted stop member and across the leg member to opened positionin abutting relation to said slotted stop member, said locking memberhaving alippedextension at its free end portion engaging and overhangingthe shouldered portion of the leg member in the opened positionof thelooking member, and a latch element comprising a shank hingedly attachedat one end to said looking member and having a crosshead at its freeend'to enter and holdingly engage in the T- slotted stop member.

ALPHA O. HENDRICKS."

